


A Distorted Mirror

by JaybieJarrett



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, And generally most of what Jack says is pretty offensive, Canon Divergence, Dumbledore Critical, Harry Teaches at Public School, Headcanon, Magic Revealed, Multi, Original Character(s), PTSD!Harry, SOS Repealed, Wizarding America Exploration, harry undercover, use of slurs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2020-02-07 10:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18618886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaybieJarrett/pseuds/JaybieJarrett
Summary: AU. The war against Voldemort was won by the Order. But the price was that that statute of secrecy was shattered and magic was revealed to the world on a global scale.  Wizards couldn’t stop it or take it back.  The secret was out.10 years later, the world still turns .  Harry is sent on an undercover mission to the United States to investigate former Death Eaters making communities in the south.  Posing as a high school science teacher at a public school he encounters something far deeper than some pure blood pride communities.  A charismatic leader of a cultish church espousing the idea of a wizards’ responsibility to rule.  A criminal group. And a boy in the middle of it , a boy with quite a bit in common with a younger Harry.





	1. Chapter 1

——— 

_Parker Travis_

 Harry still couldn’t get used to that name .  Despite all the annoying fame connected to it he rather liked his name.  It was his.  

Still, this was a highly important mission and Harry wasn’t going to throw it over a name.  If they wanted him to be Parker, he would do it.  Finding the communities of Death Eaters in the United States was something that needed to be done.  They had stamped out Voldemort, and Harry was damned if he was going to let the Death Eaters take root in the States.  

MACUSA seemed certain that it couldn’t get to the extent it did in England over there, bordering almost on insulting about it really.  But they also didn’t turn down the idea of someone from the Wizarding War coming in to root out foreign war criminals.  

In preparation for the mission, Hermione had been sending everything she could find on American culture and customs for the last month.  Harry went through all of it, hoping to not blow his cover immediately.  Ginny warned him to be careful first and foremost, and that she would be displeased if he broke his cover and risked himself on her account.  

“Focus on your assignment and don’t get yourself killed before we can get married!” 

Harry had taken some time after the war to finish his Hogwarts education and spent a few years taking up the university scholarship he got for defeating Voldemort.  He also took time to get therapy.  He had found a very nice muggleborn therapist who helped him greatly in working through the years of mistreatment from the Dursleys and from his eventful Hogwarts career.  He had been unsure at first, but upon reading about cycles of abuse in uni, he was determined to avoid that.  He would sort himself out first because he’d rather die than harm Ginny or any children they had. 

Harry shuffled through the somewhat crowded airport terminal.  A voice overhead announced that he was at ‘RDU International Airport’ and the local time was 11:45 AM. He held back a yawn, thankful that the two governments had covered his living arrangements and set everything up.  He just needed to go to the local government office and pick up the car he’d be using.  Once at his flat he couldn’t wait to sleep. 

\------

As he drove, coffee in hand, he took in the sights.  He had learned about the United States but couldn’t remember anything significant about North Carolina, other than it being one of the original 13 Colonies.  It was a very humid place, especially in the summer the heat was hard to ignore. He drove with his window cracked open  and the air conditioner up.  

He recalled the reading he did about how America had handled the reveal of magic.  A government with magic integrated but the country divided into magic and non magic districts, with laws on magical substances and items a bit more strict in the non-magic areas. Not that magic was forbidden but was encouraged to be limited to necessity only.  A somewhat problematic and easily abused way of doing things, Harry thought.  It made him think of Cornelius Fudge.  

He drove into the town into the magic district aptly called Witchaven, passing a few large pastures with long driveways and fancy gates.  There were also a few broken down houses and trailers in messy yards and parks.  Quite a disparity in ways of living.  Brushing by the area of Cary, a mostly muggle districted area with parts where the magical district overlapped.  A sign and a road winding down to a prestigious looking school that stood where a sign read ‘Royale Prep Academy’.  

Harry drove on and soon found the area where the school he’d be teaching at would be. James Jasper Junior-Senior High School. Curious, and now more awake, Harry decided to drive by and take a look.  James Jasper was a very different looking school at least compared to anything he’d been used to.  A building of brick with the words ‘J.J. High’ on the top and an area for buses to come in and out, and a parking lot of bright yellow school buses nearby. Down a hill, he could see rows of trailers that were rather small...were classes supposed to take place? In those? 

There were huge fields for mostly muggle sports but also a field with what seemed to be Quadpot hoops.  He had to remind himself that Quidditch wasn’t as commonplace here. There were cars in the parking lot and some staff, it seemed, coming in and out.  It was impossible to tell who was wizard and who was muggle because many of them were in common clothing.  He was told that the Jasper family, who had run the school for generations was a prominent wizard family in the area. Judging by the look of it , they weren’t ‘pureblood pride’ gits. At least they didn’t dress like it.  

He spied a man in his forties or early fifties getting out of a car in a conversation with a young woman that looked like a teenager.  The man said something that ended the conversation leaving the young woman looking dismayed.  Possibly father and daughter.  But why were they both here before the start of school?

He drove on slowly as many people filed into the building.  A young man came in holding a box of things.  They all seemed to dress rather casually for being the staff of a school. As he watched them file in he wondered if he should be there too.  His mobile buzzed and he checked it.  

It was a reminder.  

“James Jasper High - Open House”

Oh bollocks.  That was tomorrow.  

Harry had no idea what an open house was, but this was clearly important for his new job.  He was snapped out of his panic by a curly-haired man with a cup in his hand who had knocked at the window. Harry fumbled for the button and rolled down the window.

“Can we help you, sir?”  The tone was clearly asking ‘ what in Merlin’s name are you doing out here?’ 

“Oh er sorry.”  Harry fished around and grabbed his badge.  To the other man it would appear as a name badge for the school. " just driving by to get a look.  Er...Parker Travis.  Chemistry and Physics” 

The man nodded, no longer looking suspicious.  “Ah right, right.  The other new teacher. Well, we’re doing pre-open house preparations if you want to come on in” The other new teacher?

“All right....”. Harry was told everything he’d need would be at the flat.  “Just let me stop by my flat and get my things.”  He’d been working on some plans in preparation, those were in his suitcase.

“Sure sure. See you there” the man nodded and walked away.  Harry sighed.  So much for sleep.  Looks like he’d just have to take the Jet Lag Elixer he’d picked up back in London.  

\-----

 One Jet Lag Elixir and a shower later Harry was headed back to the school. His new home had indeed had everything he needed, including chemistry and physics textbooks, with a note from the American Auror office detailing some of the prominent areas that the pureblood pride groups were meeting and people they knew of involved.  

Harry only recognized some names from prominent English wizard families many others seemed local ones he hadn’t heard of.  He memorized some of the other names.  Cain Adamson, Aiden McCrock Sr.,  Bathsheba Brunner, Terrence Foster, Jackson Aster, Bartimus Montague-McAllister-

The mental image of Barty Crouch Jr’s empty, cold eyes flashed in Harry’s mind, and he shuddered.

He had folded up the note and put it in a desk drawer to go over later.  There were no Jaspers on the list.  So at least his employers weren’t suspects.  

As he drove up to the school, a few teachers were coming out and going to their cars.  He parked next to rusty, old looking car.  A few cars down a young Asian man in an ironed polo shirt leaned against his car, running a hand through his hair and swearing under his breath. 

“Nice going Merc” 

Harry chose to mind his own business, whatever was wrong with the man wasn’t his problem.  He gathered his things and checked the employment packet again to recall what the room number was.

 “205, B building.”

In the main building, there were staff members walking around, chatting with one another about various things from summer activities to politics. A few snippets caught his ears as he passed. 

“President Callisto is an idiot, I don’t believe for a second he could pull off that kind of scheme, the Dems are desperate to get something on him.”

“Pureblood pride, my ass.  If it’s so innocent then why are some of them making it a big secret? They know it looks bad because it’s all about thinking they’re better than people”. 

  “Or maybe they are just afraid that the papers are going to spin it like they’re some kind of monster for being proud of where they come from?” 

“Ol’ Rex has the school board by the ear, and he hates wizards. How long until he’s having us bring our IDs to work to just get in the door?”  

He paused at the mention of pure-bloods just long enough to bump into a graying man in a sweater vest holding a coffee.  “Careful!”

The man dabbed some of the coffee off his shirt with a handkerchief in his pocket. “Please watch where you’re going more carefully;”. He sighed, still glaring a bit. “I’ll send you a bill next time.” 

“Come on Fredrick...it was an accident.” another staff member said.

“Don’t take that tone with me, I’m not a damn child.”

The man huffed and tucked his handkerchief away.  

“S-sorry,” Harry said. The man he’d seen outside passed by looking like he was trying hard not to say something. Fredrick took a deep calming breath. 

 “Another new staffer, I see.  Jacob is filling up positions awfully last minute.”  The people around looked incredibly awkward. Harry wondered what he was supposed to say to that.

“Yeah.  Parker Travis, Chemistry and physics.” 

“Dr Levine, I’m the school counselor.  Pleasure to meet you I suppose”. Harry noticed he put emphasis on the doctor in his name.  “Welcome to James Jasper Junior/Senior High, Parker. Try to watch out for coffee cups”  chuckling at his own joke he continued walking along, starting to complain to someone about something. 

As he walked away,  Harry wondered who on earth was going to go to that bloke for counseling.  He shook his head and continued trying to recall again where the B building was.  Many of the other teachers who greeted him as he passed by were much more friendly than Levine.  

B Building, once he found it, was incredibly large, with many classrooms with open doors and radios playing softly as the teachers set up.  A few staffers were out putting up bulletin boards.  

One woman made him do a double take when he heard her speaking.  She sounded and looked more like a student than a teacher. Her way of dress reminded Harry of Luna Lovegood. This was the woman he'd seen earlier in the parking lot, he realized. 

"Hi there! Welcome to JJ High! " she said brightly. She spoke in the southern accent many people here did but not too much to be hard to understand  "I'm Juley Beadley.  I'll be teaching English II and Creative Writing. And yes, I'm old enough and licensed to teach." She said that last part rather lightly but he didn't doubt she had gotten a comment or two about that.  Harry had already decided it was wise not to say anything about it. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Parker Travis,   I’ll be teaching Chemistry and Physics.” Harry wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but he could have sworn she blushed a little when he spoke. 

“Oh that sounds fun!” She said, “You know I never did good in either of those but I enjoyed physics a lot.  Even with all the math we had to do for it.  I bet there are lots of fun things to do teachin’ that subject.”  

“Oh I have a few things planned” Harry had spent a good amount of time preparing ideas for his lessons for months after he was told about his assignment.  He prepared as if he had actually been hired as a teacher. Science had been a subject he found he enjoyed when studying at uni, especially as a wizard.  His chemistry teacher apparently thought that he was natural and asked quite a lot if he ever considered being a chemist.  Once he understood the basic information, it was rather like potions honestly.  

"In my experience, if you're hands on, these kids will love your class." 

"Good to know. Thank you.” 

Once in his room he set down his things and looked around.  There were long white tables lined up in rows through the room, some sort of eyewash thing in one corner, and a fire extinguisher that looked like it was rarely touched.

Sinks lined one side of the room , with one labeled "for disposal use only , do not use for washing hands"

In place of a fire alarm there were obviously magically made fire sensors. It was a blend of muggle and magical.  He started to unpack things and made a trip back to the car.  When he returned, a tall lanky red headed bespectacled man in an olive colored jacket and woven shirt was looking over the room. 

“Hello.” Harry set down the box he was holding.  

The man jumped nearly half of a foot and turned around.  “Ooh! 'Ello there.” He had a strong Irish accent.  He also looked, in Harry’s opinion, to be perpetually dazed.  His eyes traveled to Harry’s wand holster at his side. He’d forgotten he had it on still. How had nobody made so much as a comment?  “Aye. Another wizard who went inta science.  Nice” 

“Yes... erm. You are...?”

“Ah right. Orion McDunnan. Biology an’ Earth Science.”

“Parker Travis. Chemistry and Physics” 

“Nice to meet ya. So you just come over the pond then?”

“The...oh. Yes.” He tried to think of a reason “Needed a change.” 

“Aye. I get it.  I came over as li’l thing.  Mum was paranoid about things over there.  You know the return of You Know ‘O.” Harry resisted the urge to say his name.

“It’s safe now...to say his name.  He’s gone”

“I know. Just don’t like it.  Fella’s a demon, far as I’m concerned.”

“I think that’s giving him too much credit.  He was just a wizard at the end of the day.” Harry said.

“More evil than hell itself though.” Orion shuddered. 

“Mmm.” Harry nodded. 

“Well... welcome to North Carolina.” Orion changed the subject quickly. “The folks here are friendly but a li’l tricky to understand sometimes.”  

“It’s not too bad” Harry said.  

“Ahh huh. Wait ‘til you hear the ones from really down south.  Like D’Aubert.  Boy needs a translator if you ask me.” 

Harry chuckled.  “so...is this a good place to work?”

“It’s not bad” Orion shrugged. “The budget ain’t Hogwarts though.  Pay is peanuts. This is public school. For one,  Kids wear whatever they want so long as it doesn’t offend and covers the body properly. And even then sometimes....” he shook his head. “Bloody teenagers, you know. Anyway , mosta the people are decent...” he hesitated.  

“Most?”

“Aye. Yeah. Dr. Levine is a real git.  Like a slimy li’l piece of shit.  Friendly with the school board folks.  Don’t like the Jaspers much.  Especially ol’ Jacob since he doesn’t bow down and schmooze up to Levine.  Fellas also a real creep too in my opinion.  Married his lady soon as she got out of high school-“

“What?”  Harry did the math, recalling Levine, he must have been around forty or maybe fifty. 

“She was technically 18, but just barely.  ‘Spect the sleaze was counting down” 

“His wife is..” Harry recalled the man and young teacher from the parking lot. 

“Creative writing teacher.”  Orion nodded. “Still goes by her maiden name around here.  He’s not too popular.” 

“I met her.  They’re married?” 

“Yup. He was a counselor at her school, least til he mysteriously resigned weeks before her graduation. Funny, that.” 

“Yeah....funny” Harry was still feeling many levels of disturbed at this information. 

“Oh and the new fella here is the kid of Royale’s headmaster.  Don’t know much about him but I hear stories about Headmaster Malcolm.  Kicked out a kid to protect his bullies. And he’s another person friendly with Levine, so you know, association. School board politics are something aren’t they?” 

“How is Levine even still hired?  If people know what he is, then certainly...”

“Oh, money.  He is rich as hell.  People will overlook a lot for that. A crusty old religious fundie has the school board in his pocket and they don’t trust a school run by a wizard family so they shoved him on us” Orion glanced at a pocket watch “Ah, should be finishing up.  See you around, Travis”. 

As he left Harry swore he could hear the man muttering about needing a drink. 

He finished preparing his classroom until it was at least reasonably ready for people to see it.  As he made his way out, he saw Levine and Juley together again, talking. Levine’s arms wrapped around her waist speaking talking softly to her. It was uncomfortable to watch, and Harry had to hold himself back from hexing the man right on the spot


	2. Chapter 2

Ron Weasley already missed Harry.  He was set to working with Zach Smith since Harry had been gone.  The former Hufflepuff was a little less annoying now , but not by much.  But more than that, he and Harry were more effective as Aurors when they were working together. Also Harry was skilled in dealing with the muggle authorities when they had to. 

 

Neither Ron nor Zach were very good at it.  Zach bemoaned not being able to just obliviate them.   

The reveal of magic had brought many changes over the past ten years.  Wizards worked with muggles, and mind altering spells became heavily restricted. Confunding and obliviating were no longer a solution.  It was a sacrifice the Ministry had to make to get Muggle authorities to trust them.  And now right before Ron’s eyes attitudes were changing on things that used to be commonplace.   

“And why shouldn’t they?   Casually playing with muggles’ minds should be a thing of the past.” Hermione argued.   

“You obliviated your parents," He touched a nerve there

“That was a wartime necessity, Ronald.  I had to protect them.  You know that.  Wizards can’t just feel entitled to mess with people’s minds for their convienience.”  Hermione argued.

“I’m not saying it’s a good thing, but- “ 

“You certainly sound like you are.” Hermione said shortly .

Ron had dropped the subject.  He figured that she was probably right.  Maybe it should change.  But it was still so different like many things about the times now.  It was still irritating to get nasty looks from young wizards and witches, or shock and horrified reactions over mentioning the way things were when he grew up. 

———

The party going on at the large and rather ritzy house was really starting to kick up as two shadowy figures snuck through the gates.  One was a high school kid with brown hair and wearing a rude t-shirt.  The other was a lanky, pimply faced, straw haired man of twenty two.  

“Don’t ya think this is a lil juvenile” the older man said in a drawling southern accent 

“A party at this place is the party of the season, douchebag.” The high schooler snapped back.  “Besides this place has a huge assed booze cellar if ya get bored”

“If yer 15 maybe...” 

“Booze cellar . Full of expensive wines and shit.” 

“Really now?” The straw haired man raised an eyebrow.

“And they’re pure bloods.” The straw haired man spat some chewing tobacco out and looked around disdainfully. 

“Their guests ain’t.  Some’a these folks are muggle garbage” 

“Yeah well, I didn’t draw up the guest list.  Princess Kagami feeds off the energy of her adoring fans” Jack Aster said impatiently.  “You use guns, September, you’ll survive brushing elbows with some muggles” 

September lowered his voice.  “Only cause I’d like to watch a muggle die by their own invention.  I got magic bullets.” 

“JACKSON ASTER!”  A female voice called out.  Kagami Toyaka, the hostess of the party walked over and stood in front of the two. “I hope you’re not trying to gatecrash my party.”

“Heyheyhey.  Just wanted to celebrate the end of summer with all of y’all.” Jack said innocently. 

“Yes well you know you’re not welcome since you published that trash about my cousin.” Kagami said, putting manicured hands on her hips. “And especially not when you’re bringing in people like that” 

“Come on now” Septimus September spoke up, “no need fer hostility li'l girl. I just want a little fun”

“We don’t support purebloodists here” 

“...oh come on Kag.” Jack rolled his eyes. “You’re pureblood!” 

“So what?  Doesn’t mean we’re a bunch of murder loving bigots.”

Septimus narrowed his eyes coldly. “Well I didn’t wanna wallow in the trash anyway. Jackass dragged me here” 

“Sep!!!” Jack complained.  He glared at Kagami “you will pay.” 

“Oh noooo.  Are you going to write a mean article about me?  Tell everyone I’m a slut? Oops, already did that. I survived”  Kagami said mockingly.  “Now go before my brother finds you because I can guarantee he won’t be opposed to violence.”  

Jack grumbled as he walked away with Septimus.  “Don’t worry son, we’ll show em” the older man patted his shoulder. 

————————

Harry reviewed the list of ‘pureblood pride’ members again and read up on the notes on each of them.  The local group was led by Rodolphus Lestrange and Travers under new identities.  Harry narrowed his eyes looking at the report.  He could recall those two, he remembered swearing up a storm and breaking something when he heard they escaped.  

“So this is where you went eh?  Thought you’d start over again?”   

He went over the other members , looking at each of their pictures and wondering when and how he’d come across them.  Cain Adamson was a burly bloke with dark hair slicked back.  Business suit and tie, thin mustache,  he didn’t look like many of the other people.  According to the report he recently had two stepchildren removed from his care for abusive treatment.  Harry’s grip on the paper clenched.  He wanted to get this bastard on something. 

Aiden McCrock Sr. wore a sneer on his pointed narrow face.  Harry could imagine his lip curling snobbishly as he spoke. 

Bathsheba Brunner was a stout disagreeable looking old woman with hair that reminded Harry unpleasantly of Umbridge.  She looked like she was about to yell at the person taking the picture.  

Terrence Foster was a military man with graying short hair and a shadow on his face where a beard was shaved.  His eyes were hawklike, piercing.  

Harry stopped at the picture of Jackson Aster.  He was clearly a high school student, about sixteen, seventeen at most.  He had bangs that were styled to stick up and somewhat short brown hair, wearing a t-shirt advertising services as a “bathing suit inspector”.  A joke no doubt, but a very tasteless one.  Still, his young age gave Harry some hope that if this boy was one of his students, he could be helped.   

Harry moved on to another member of the group, an actual criminal who did time in prison after threats on James Jasper High School and unlawful possession of bewitched guns.  Septimus September.  He was a pureblood but seemed to be fond of bewitching illegally bought firearms.  He had gotten out of juvenile hall early, no doubt his parents’ influence, and was ordered to attend therapy.   

September was lanky and pimple faced, with greasy straw colored hair tied in a messy ponytail. He idly smoked a cigarette with a dead and cold look in his eyes.  A look Harry recognized from pictures of people like Bellatrix Lestrange.  

————————

Inside the gate walls , the music blared outside the house to the poolside where crowds of teenagers hung out, drank and danced to the beat.  Kagami returned to the patio with a sigh, trying not to look too troubled by Jack’s threat.  Normally she wouldn’t have been bothered, were it only Jack.  But with Septimus September, a particularly violent wizard with a thing for bewitched guns, Jack’s threat could have some weight.  

“What was that all about?” One of her friends asked quietly , coming over.   

“Jack Aster tried to gatecrash” 

“Ew.” 

“...he had September with him. The gun nut”. 

“Oh ew. “

“I can’t believe he’d bring people like that to my party.  Well, I made them leave.  I’ll tell Rick in the morning” Kagami waved a hand and sipped her drink.  “Nothing to worry about.

Over by the other side of the yard a light brown skinned, copper haired boy was showing off at the stereo table. He grabbed a mic and tapped it , cause a slight feedback squeal.  

“All right y’all last week a’ summer b’fore school starts.  What are we gonna do?  RAISE SOME HEEEEEEEELLL” he sounded perhaps a little drunk and a drunk Blaise D’Aubert meant a huge fire hazard. Kagami sighed and went over to take the mic away.

“You better not raise too much hell or you’ll have Uncle and Dad to answer to!” 

“Oooh don’t wanna make Daddy mad!” One kid said  

Blaise grinned and slid over to Kagami. “I know how I’dlike to make her daddy mad.” She rolled her eyes and swatted him away.   

“Ah-hem” the crowd of boys went silent as a seventeen year old boy walked over.  Blaise backed away quickly. The older boy had platinum blonde spiky hair with red tips and dark clothes.  

"Sorry Temp I was jus' kiddin'"

"Yes well" he pointed his wand slowly down the other boy's  body.  "See that there's no more kidding" he stopped between Blaise's legs. 

"Temp seriously? Put your wand away! This is a party" Kagami made a swipe at his wand and he put it away.   

"Right.  Like he wasnt getting too much for you to handle. “.  

“E-excuse me? I can handle things just fine!”  Kagami huffed. “You know this is why we keep breaking up, Templeton. You need to butt in and-“  

Temp stopped her short by holding her face and forcefully kissing her. “And thats why we keep getting back together,  you cant resist.” 

Kagami seethed hot in the face. “Don’t think that means I’m forgiving you!”  She hated him sometimes.  He chuckled.   

“Shut up already”  

Everyone was quiet for a moment. 

“Awwwwwwwwkward”

“What a creep” one girl muttered. Temp turned around to face her, and sighed with exasperation.

“Nobody has any interest in what youhave to say Calliope.  It’s always the same nonsense anyway.  You complain about people more popular than yourself and then you attend their social functions anyway because you actually pathetically crave their approval. People would tolerate you a lot more if you just talked about dungeons and dragons and whatnot like other nerds.  You’re not made fun of for being a nerd, like you think, you’re made fun of for being insufferably full of yourself. “. The girl recoiled as if struck and fumbled for a retort. “Am I wrong? Nobody takes her seriously anymore”  

Some people laughed or shifted uncomfortably knowing they had mocked the girl for similar reasons.   

With tears stinging her eyes Callie pulled her best friend with her and stormed off to find a quiet spot. Temp chuckled before turning to the angry eyes of his girlfriend. 

“Get out. Right now”.  

“You’re joking“ Temp looked incredulous.  

“I’m not.  I won’t tolerate that kind of thing from my friends and I won’t from you, go.”  

“Fine.  Enjoy your party, I don’t care” Temp Foster left the grounds of the house looking very annoyed.  He had things to do though, who cared about one stupid house party anyway? 

———————- 

Images of Death Eaters haunted Harry’s dreams that night.  He relived the war except where something went horribly wrong,more people died, or somehow Voldemort won.  It made about as much sense as dreams do, but left Harry awake and shaking when he woke up.  After the second or third time he got up to get a bottle of dreamless sleep potion.  

He sighed,this had gotten so common for him when he was going through the trials.  He saw their faces, he remembered what they did vividly.  Everyone around him wondered why he put himself through it, if it kept him awake at night.

Honestly? He felt like it was a kind of duty to justice to himself.  After all if he was so deeply affected by what they did, he owed them to himself to see it through to closure.  

Or so he thought it would be.  Then some of them escaped.  

He was starting to feel like these peoples’ deaths was the only way he’d ever know peace from the memories.   

As Harry drifted off after taking the potion, he idly groused about the noisy house party a few blocks down.  He imagined that was the kind of thought an average person - muggle or wizard - had.  The kind of person whose childhood wasn’t spent in a cupboard and who didn’t spend their teenage years fighting a war. 

————————-

The headline of the local wizard newspaper that morning was alarming.  The words “Local Teen Party Raided By Hate Group” flashed across the top of the paper, with pictures of young wizards shooting spells to defend themselves or nursing injuries.  For a moment the edges of his vision went funny and the sound of shattering could be heard as his cup exploded.  It wasn’t until he felt the cut on his cheek from the shattered glass that he snapped out of it. He shook his head and started to clean up the mess.  

“Damn it” He’d have to pay to replace it. He hadn’t lost control like that for ages.  At least since the trials straight after the war.  

He grabbed another glass, poured himself some orange juice and opened up the paper to read.  Sure enough it was the pureblood pride group.  The party had been five blocks away, the neighborhood near the complex Harry was staying at.  He felt sick recalling last night.  Had he heard the sounds of a party? Or teenagers fighting for their lives? 

The hostess , Kagami Toyaka , was interviewed saying that she felt a little responsible for everyone being there. Thankful nobody was killed.  Teenagers shouldn’t have to worry about those kind of things.  

——————-

One of the things that came with the reveal of magic was the spread of wizard stores in the open, places like Magic Mart boomed in popularity and sales. They even had muggles coming in now to look at everything sold in such a store.  Of course they had to have a wizard with ID to buy anything. 

In the “toys and games” section of a particular Magic Mart , two teens in vests were sorting out things in a cart. A tall burly dark haired teenager that looked like he could pass for an adult and a short brown skinned , wavy haired boy in a leg brace who looked like he could pass for twelve or thirteen were hotly debating something.

“His Dad was one of the people sighted-“ 

“In the dark while someone was fightin’ for their fuckin’ life, dude” 

“So you think they’re lying” Ambrose Lasko sighed in exasperation.  

“I think they’re possibly mistaken.” Niko Volkova chucked another object in the other cart.  “And if Ol’ man Foster was there, so what?  Doesn’t mean Temp was.  I know you think he’s the devil incarnate”

“He is.  You know what he did! And if my sources are correct, Kags pissed him off last night”

“So what, he told his dad to bring the pureblood priders out to attack his own girlfriend?”  Niko rolled his eyes.  If a Foster was involved, Lasko’s immediate answer was always that Templeton Foster was ultimately responsible.  “You know who Kagami also mentioned?  September.  Septimus the gun nut”. 

“Eh he’s on house arrest or somethin ain’t he?”  

“Like he doesn’t sneak out anyway.”  

“Why are you so against it bein Temp?”

“Temp Foster ain’t gonna risk that over bein kicked out of a party.” 

Lasko exhaled a sharp breath. “You don’t know-“ 

“I know, I ain’t been around him long as you have.  But I can tell he’s a planner.  He thinks long term.” Niko looked up to see their manager coming over. 

“What are you two debating so intently?”  

“Nothin’” “The devil” 

“Ooooh boy.  Temp?”   

“Yup . Goth Satan himself”  

“What’d he do now? Dish” Ellie leaned on the cart.  Niko groaned and rolled his eyes.  

“Lasko here thinks that Temp set up the attack on the Toyaka’ party.” Niko was throughly impatient with this discussion. Ellie gave Lasko a confused look.  

“Aren’t they dating?”  

“They’re on-off.  Word from Callie is that Temp got kicked out”  

“So he ordered the attack on the whole party?” Ellie said skeptically. “To....get back at his girlfriend?” 

“Yes!” Lasko said with a huff. 

“I don’t think so” Ellie said 

“Merlin’s balls.”  Lasko threw up his arms. 

“Watch yourself there are children here” Ellie lightly tapped him with a clipboard. “Anyway...you two need to kick it up a bit.  We have new freight comin in tonight.” Both boys nodded and Lasko gave a salute.  

When she returned to the floor from her office, a tall dark haired man in a leather jacket waited for her.  

“Hey girly, you’re not too busy for me are ya?” When not running his church , Ianto Lasko certainly didn’t dress like one would expect a wizard preacher to dress.   

“I do have a job to do” she said reprovingly. He only chuckled and went to wrap his arms around her waist.   

“Relax a little” Ellie laughed

“You dog .  Yanno I can have you thrown out of here”. 

“I’m not a dog, darlin, I’m a wolf.”  

“Yeah sure you are big guy” she pulled herself away from him. “Easy though, we’re in front of people”. As the two kissed Lasko grumbled from afar.

“Goddamn sleaze. He’s supposed to be a preacher and he’s actin like a creep on his off time.”  He fumed.  “Listen to him bragging about bein a wolf.  Ain’t that what the ladies looooooove though”  

Niko sighed. “You know her.  Ellie just has extraordinarily bad judgement in men”. 

“Damn straight.” 

“You gonna tell her, what he’s like at home?”  

Lasko hesitated.  “She ain’t moving in with him. He’s just...like that with me and dad....”

“I don’t believeyou” Niko shook his head. 

“It’s her life.  She wants to flirt with gross, greasy older dudes I won’t hold it against her. I guess”   Lasko didn’t think his manager was a bad person.  Just an idiot when it came to matters of hormones.  


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione woke up,heart pounding. For a moment she looked over to check her baby daughter's cradle .  Viola was still fast asleep. She sighed with relief.  

For the third time that month Hermione dreamt of herself in front of Umbridge and the wizengomet being sentenced for stealing magic. Sometimes she saw her children being charged, getting the dementor’s kiss. 

“That’s what you get for stealing magic.”

“Are you okay, love?”  Ron asked softly.  

“Yes, sorry for waking you up.” Hermione said with a sigh. “Just a nightmare.”

Ron put a hand in her shoulder as Hermione idly ran her fingers over the scars on her arm, where “Mudblood” had been carved into her skin.  “Was it...the torture again.”  

“No.  It...it was the trials.” She shook her head. “It’s nothing.  Don’t worry about it”. She wiped away the moisture in her eyes.  Just a stupid nightmare. 

_____________

 The halls were already busy as Harry got into the school in the afternoon.  He walked down the halls as a group of kids that looked first year or second year age hurried down to the junior high halls with one girl who could maybe be old enough for American high school.  

Some of them carried toys, figurines of strange creatures or some kind of robots. The oldest girl held a box and some books under her arm.  

Her mother, presumably, called after her “Siriana this is supposed to be an Open house.”

“I’ve only got one teacher, ma!” 

“They’ll keep themselves occupied,Di. Think of it as a blessing in disguise.”

“I guess, I still have to meet Jonathan’s teachers too.”

“There you go”. 

Harry blinked in surprise.  Weren’t most students supposed to have multiple teachers?  

He carried on deciding that he’d ask later.  For now he had to get to his class quickly.

  A boy in a patched jacket with bottle caps on it walked along with an older couple.  “Nana, my home room is this way”. 

“Calm down, you’ve had too much soda”

“I need soda!  It gives me energy” 

Harry personally thought the boy had enough energy and then some.  He continued on to his class, and wrote his name on the board.

Or rather Parker’s name. 

“Welcome everyone, my name is Parker Travis and this is Chemistry, or Physics depending on the hour.”  He looked over the crowd of parents and students. Terrence Foster sat in the group with a teenager in dark clothes and spiky dyed hair.  

He was dressed rather muggle for what Harry expected out of a wizard that prided himself on his pure blood.  His son even had a mobile phone. 

Perhaps purebloods here were quite different. 

_______

Harry met many parents and their children throughout the day while trying to keep an eye on his targets.  Not to long after he first sighted him, he got the chance to talk to Terrence Foster. 

“Science huh?  Interesting choice,  you’re brave I’ll give you that”. 

“Brave, for teaching science?”  Harry had been called brave for many things, but this was a new one. 

“Dad relax it’s just science.  It’s not going to suck the magic out of you” The boy remarked. 

“Oi, quiet you.  Adults are talking”. 

“I’m practically an adult already!” the boy seethed.  

“Then you should have some respect like one.”  Before Harry could point out that this was supposed to be for the students as well as parents , the student walked off, fed up with his father, communicating with someone on his phone.  

“Not long until he’ll be packed up for boot camp at this rate."

Harry didn’t like this man already.  

“Right...”. 

“So Hogwarts , hm?”  

“Yes”  This conversation was getting risky.  

“Ah same.  Slytherin.”  Well at least the man was unlikely to have attended Hogwarts at the same time as him.  

“Gryffindor.”  Harry replied without thinking.  He was glad he remembered to apply the scar concealer.  Terrence nodded narrowing his eyes.  

“Well I imagine we’re not going to see eye to eye.”  Rather blunt, this one.  

“Probably not.” Harry replied. “ but my job is to teach your son, not have drinks with you.”  

From a look in the man’s eyes Harry wondered if he was going to need his wand. But Foster only chuckled at him.  “On edge are you, Mr. Travis?”

Harry met his eyes defiantly.  “No I’m feeling fine. Are you?” 

He turned back to sorting papers and looking through the list of students, letting Foster know he was done talking.  

After that nothing terribly eventful happened for a good while except for a pair of boys in 10th grade coming up to ask about advancing to chemistry.  The brothers of one Niko Volkova.

“That’s something you can ask your teachers” their older sister, a frizzy haired girl in tough looking overalls said.  “You don’t wanna miss out on bio though, you might like it”. 

“Ricky don’t bite off more than you can chew. Biology is just fine”. 

“But mom, chemistry is-“ 

“You can wait a year” she sighed apologetically “I’m sorry it’s just, he’s always jumping into somethin’ feet first then regretting it when he gets overwhelmed.”

“Mom I don’t get overwhelmed.”

“Yeah you do”.  Something about the large family made Harry think of the Weasleys the day he met them at the train station.  

Looking at the twin 10th graders caused a lump in his throat remembering Fred and George.  

Though Ricky Volkova seemed more like Percy if anything.  

Their mother turned to the youngest son who looked about eleven or twelve, in the back of the room reading a poster.  His hands were doing some kind of repetitive fidgeting.  

“Toby, sweetheart , why don’t you go to your classroom and we’ll catch up.”  

Toby hurried to his mothers side. “Do you have my Woobat?”

The mother pulled a plush bat like creature out of his purse and the boy took it joyfully then bounded off out the door. 

“He’s special needs , he’s in his own little world”. 

“Velma don’t tell people that.” Their father quietly admonished her.  

“Geez Dad you sound like you’re embarrassed”. The daughter said eyeing her father. 

“I am not....I just.  Some things are private” he protested.  

“He’s got an IEP and is in the Sped class. It’s not exactly private”. The larger and older of the sons said.  That must be Niko.

“Fine whatever...” the man grumbled to himself, something about ‘in my day.....’.  

The family moved along soon after to the next class.  Harry met quite a few more families after that. Harried parents and half or non-interested students.  

A father and son pair shuffled in.  Both dressed in some kind of work uniform for the same place.  The father looked, much to Harry's surprise, rather young. Closer to his age than most parents there.  Yet with an apparently eleventh grade aged son.  

Harry chose not to think too much about it. It wasn't his business.  In between a quiet moment he took a chance to go for a quick trip to the toilet. 

As he passed a corridor he overheard an interesting exchange between Templeton Foster and a boy who he recognized as Jackson Aster.  

"What the hell was last night?"

"What?"

"Don't play stupid, I read the papers.  What are you playing at, attacking the Toyakas?" 

"That bitch kicked me out of the party.  It was Sep's idea" 

"Sep is a lunatic, Jack.  Why are you listening to him?" 

"I wanted payback okay? The Toyakas are pureblood but they sit there 'n get all friendly with muggles.  Why do you wanna protect them so much, other than because you're bangin' one-ow!"

"I know it's hard for you to understand, Aster,but heritage and blood are not actually the end all of worth.  Power is. The sooner you learn that anyone willing to go after it and put effort into their magic is worthy , the better" 

Well there were a couple sentences that gave Harry some very mixed feelings. On one hand valuing power above all else sounded rather like Voldemort.  But on the other those were some surprising views about blood, coming from the son of a Death Eater's follower.  

"That's fucking retarde-ow!" For the second time Templeton hurled a shock spell at Jackson.

“I wouldn’t be talking about mental impairment after taking orders from lunatics”  Foster hissed starting to lean close. 

Right, he should put a stop to this.  

“Excuse me, no magic in the halls” Harry said coming over. “What’s going on here?”

“Just a discussion between friends” Templeton said evenly. 

“Do you normally hurl spells at your friends” Harry asked.

“That depends, do you normally listen in on students’ private discussions? You couldn’t have known that unless you eavesdropped”   

“A spell is kind of hard to miss”

“Mhm right, we’ll be careful or you might get a reputation for being creepy, Mr. Travis”. Templeton chuckled. “Would be a shame if this got out and someone took it rather wrong”.   Whatever sympathy Harry had seeing Templeton deal with his father was gone. The little shit.

“Mr. Foster, my job is to look out for the safety of students, including the one you’re currently threatening. If people were to know  that a student is using magic to bully others, they might forgive me for being a bit nosy.” Harry couldn’t help but be reminded of his late potions teacher in his tone. 

But it worked. Templeton Foster gave a momentary angry look but let go of Aster. “I don’t bully.” He spoke with disdain as if such a thing was below him.

“Well in all my years at school when a student was holding another to a wall with a wand at their body it was bullying” Harry said. “Don’t you have another teacher to be visiting?” 

“My dad can handle that.”

“And embarrass you further?” It slipped out before Harry could stop himself. Templeton hesitated a moment as if about to say something before heading off. 

"Thanks but I could have handled that myself." Jackson said with an arrogant swagger.  "Temp isn't that tough. Emo asshole."

"Well, I saved you some energy , you're welcome"  Harry said shortly. 

"Yeah well don't think I'm bully bait like some faggots here." 

Charming boy,wasn't he? 

"Why dont you get back to visiting your teachers" Harry didnt have the patience for this kid. 

He returned to his class for the next batch of students and parents. All went well until he heard some raised voices from the other room. 

"Yooo bio teach and some old lady are gonna throw down!"  A student called.

"Sit down Branson, an' bloody well shut up" That was Orion allright. 

"Just a moment."   Harry got up and went to peek in the other room. Old Bathsheba Brunner was arguing loudly with Orion.

"Oh an' that's you talk to kids?"

"Ma'am I invite you to teach teenagers all day an' not lose yer temper once" Orion sounded very tired and exasperated.  

"You oughta be teachin’ them the truth, even if you liberal muggle lovers think its uncomfortable" she said.

"Ma'am there's no need for that kind of language" a parent said. 

"Oh shut up. I'm ninety-three I've lived long enough to speak my mind." Bathsheba snapped. "They ain't no-maj or whatever cute lil politically correct word you use, they're muggles. Always have been. "

"Missus I ain't teachin kids that non-magic-born kids steal magic. That's disproven bullshit" Orion pinched the bridge of his nose. 

"Course you think that, all you muggle lovin' intellectuals are afraid to face facts" 

"Granny please let's just go" one of two embarassed girls said, practically pleading the woman to let it go.

"I will not! I wont let some public school hack feed my grandbabies liberal lies" she pulled her arm away. "I should have sent you two to Durmstrang whether your mama liked it or not"

"You're not our mom , Grandma" one of the two girls said harshly. 

"I raised your mama.  Don't be hateful, Aurora"

"Your raising is why she ran away." 'Aurora' stormed off.  

"You get back here Aurora!" The woman finally turned her attention away from Orion and Harry returned to his own students and their parents. 

"That's batty ol' Sheba for you" one man remarked after the presenting was done.

"Akahata Toyaka.  What an example to set for your children." the man next to him scolded. However Akahata, a dark haired man with pricy looking clothes and sunglasses perched on his head, continued.

"Well, If my mother named me after bloody Bellatrix Lestrange I'd run away too!" 

Harry privately agreed with Akahata.  

"Normally I'd agree with you Uncle, but Mrs Brunner's ideas are dangerous, and ought to be condemned. Considering what just happened." The dark dressed teenage girl next to Akahata said.  

'That must be Kagami' Harry thought. The girl had hair tied back in a bun and quite thick eye makeup. 

"Aw come on 'Gami.  She wasn't there probably. She's just a miserable ol' lady." A boy said. 

"Taro" Kagami shook her head. 

"I understand your feelings Kagami, sweets. Still gossip is rather classless." Their uncle said.  The group started dispersing out. In the hall he overheard Jack Aster's voice.

"Hey Kags...dressing in mourning for-" whatever he was about to say was cut off with a slap. 

"That boy? He's what happens when ya never wash yer kids' mouth out with soap when they sass ya.” Harry nearly jumped when he saw Orion leaning on the desk side.  

"Warn me next time you do that." He murmured, annoyed.  Because of Dudley he had never much liked abrupt surprises. Maybe not just Dudley though. “So....”

“You want to catch drinks after all this?”

“Thanks but-“ Harry thought about what to say.  He had seen far too many of Uncle Vernon’s drunken rages and read too much about the links between trauma and addiction to ever want to chance it.  A cup of fire whiskey at Christmas was about as far as he’d go. 

“Ya don’t drink.  Nah, I understand.” Orion chuckled.  “I may be a drunk ol’ fool but far be it from me to ruin anyone else’s soberity streak.  See you in a couple days.” With that he left. Harry still wasn’t sure what he made of the man yet.  But it was clear that Orion was trying to make friends with him. It made Harry uneasy, getting too close to people while being undercover.  So much could go wrong 

______

That night Harry opened himself a bottle of dreamless sleep potion and down it in a few gulps. He was starting to acquire a taste for the potion.  That made him a little worried. It was possible, after all, to get addictions to potions as well. His life was difficult enough, he certainly didn’t need to add addiction to his long list of problems.


	4. Chapter 4

“This is all such BS” Ambrose Lasko muttered to his father as he sat in the back of his great-uncle’s church. He slumped in the seat idly scrolling on an MP3 player he bought off eBay. “I don’t even wanna know what he’s saying.” He was forced to attend his great uncle’s stupid cult church but hat didn’t mean he had to listen.  It’s not like great uncle Ianto practiced what little religion he preached in between all the pureblood supremacy. Ambrose considered himself agnostic sometimes atheist when it pissed off his uncle. But he knew what was religion and what was from Ianto’s twisted mind.  

“I know.” Bastian Lasko said in understanding. Mr. Lasko was just as much a prisoner of Ianto’s firm grip on the household as his son.  Ambrose had been born when Bastian was fifteen and both teenagers’ parents had been furious. Ambrose’s mother had been sent to boarding school after he was born, and Bastian was thrown out of the house.

Bastian had never been on the greatest terms with his parents to begin with.  He was a wizard and they were non-maj. Very religious and conservative non-maj who decided he was a wretched hell-child.  He was sent to a religious academy , a miserable experience when many of his classmates learned he was a wizard. He was told he was going to hell, and a wretched sinner that needed to be saved so much that In his teen years he decided to embrace the label of sinner and have fun.  

When he was kicked out for getting a girl pregnant, he was shunted by the rest of the family to their one wizard relative. Sleazy con man cult-leader Uncle Ianto. Ianto had told Bastian’s parents that he ran a wizard church.  

Bastian tried to tell them it was probably something shady, Ianto had done prison time, but Ianto convinced them that he found God and turned around.

Uncle Ianto had always been very charismatic.  Even to people who used to hold him in disdain.  Or perhaps they just hoped somebody could save their sinful child even if that person was a wizard himself. 

“You should be careful, though Ambrose.  You know Ianto won’t be happy if he catches you.” Bastian warned.

“He can be unhappy, I don’t have to listen to his stupid preachin’. You and I both know he’s excusin’ the bastards the attacked the party.” Ambrose got dirty looks from some older folks.  Unamused , he raised his hand and made a rude gesture. Bastian groaned as the people turned around scandalized. 

“It’s no wonder he’s a li’l hellion, bein’ raised by some dropout mudblood.” Ambrose’s temper flared as he heard old Sheba Brunner’s voice.

“Mind your own business, you salty old bitch!”

“Ambrose” 

Ambrose sighed and slumped against the pew seat again muttering.  He only relented because of the anger of his father, one adult he actually respected in his life.

“When you act like that all you do is prove them right.” Bastian said sternly

“Dad, I’m not going to let them call you-“ 

“Maybe if some of us paid attention more often, we’d be more practiced at the obedience He calls from us.” Ianto said as Ambrose’s headphones fizzled out. 

From the look in Ianto’s eyes Ambrose knew that there would be trouble when he got home.  He quietly cursed himself for losing his temper. 

—————

Harry took a deep breath as he got out of the car , bringing a crate of his things in with him.  For the last week before classes started Harry took every moment, every second he could preparing.  No matter how much preparation he got, it never felt like enough. Despite knowing he did all he could Harry still felt like he was going to make a fool of himself. 

Granted he had felt that way when he was nominated by Hermione and Ron to run Dumbledore’s Army.  But everyone claimed that he had been a great teacher. He recalled Remus Lupin’s Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.

He wanted to be that kind of teacher.  The kind that inspired confidence in the subject. He couldn’t do that if he didn’t feel confident though.  

_ ‘You’re prepared for this.  You’re more than prepared _ ’ 

Holding onto that thought Harry usher forward going into the building and heading to his classroom.  Along the way he heard a curious sound.

Was that...sobbing?

He stopped as it got closer and saw, through an open door, Ms. Beadley burying her face in her arms sobbing as Levine walked out.

“You’re too emotional. This is why people think you’re a little girl all the time.” He said disdainfully. “Nobody will take you seriously.” Harry was reminded of Snape jeering at him during his occlumency lessons. 

“Wonder what that says about you, then.” Harry said coldly. 

“Mind your own business, Travis.” Levine snapped. “You don’t want me as your enemy.” 

“What,are you going to complain about me to the school board?” Harry said.

“If I do you’ll be on thinner ice than the normal people here.” Levine sneered at him and walked away.  Harry looked back to Ms Beadley who wiped her eyes taking a deep breath.  

“H-he’s right.  I’m an adult...I should pull myself together.” She said.  

“He shouldn’t be making you upset.” Harry said.  “Does he always talk to you like that?” 

“No, he’s usually helpful.” She said with a weak laugh.  

Harry kept what he wanted to say to himself, but he seriously doubted Levine could be much help to anyone.  What did he say to his patients? 

As she started getting up and getting ready Harry moved on to his own classroom.  He set down his things , and started writing on the board. Physics was first. 

Harry had studied the lesson plans for the first week last night. He hoped everything would go smoothly.  

—————

 Nothing eventful happened for the first half of class, it was all introductory things he was expected to teach about lab safety.  Most of the students were either half asleep or bored but they were quiet.  

At least most of them were.

“So what do you know about physics and science , being a wizard and all?  I thought witchcraft was your everything.” Sheila Stryke, a blonde girl with a very southern sounding voice dripping in false sweetness, asked.

For a moment Harry felt as if he was back in Umbridge’s office, staring at her toadlike face. 

“What do you know about science bein’ a nutty fundie?” A kid retorted.

“Well, I have studied at both a magical school and a mu- a regular university” They didn’t like the word muggle here, he remembered. “And I think you’ll find that magic and science have quite a bit in common. They both have laws that they work by.”

“Do any of them involve demons?  You might trigger Sheila” Half of the class erupted into laughter. 

“You can laugh, Stephen, but wizards have been involved in some very shady things.  Annnnnnd our teacher almost called all of us non magical students a slur.”

Harry started to say that he was using the English word but Sheila continued. 

“-of course that’s your default word for us over there. Muggle. Isn’t it Mr. Travis?“ 

Was it possible for a teacher to request a student transferred?

“Yes it is. I apologize I’m still getting used to things over here.” Harry breathed a sigh of exasperation.  

“I know it’s so hard not to insult half your class.” 

“I’m not insulted.”

“He didn’t mean it Sheila. Give him a break.”

“I don’t care if he meant it. It was still wrong.  My grandfather will be hearing about this.”   

“Ooooh nooo ol grandpy’s gonna hear” Jackson Aster mocked, waking up to the voices. “He gonna give Teach a spankin’? Or is he gonna cry to your magical sky man?”

“Good of you to join us, Mr. Aster. Can you give us a summary of the packet you were supposed to read?” Harry walked over to Jackson’s desk , folding his arms.

“I’m a wizard, dude. I don’t give two fucks about  _ physics _ .” Jackson rolled his eyes with a look of disgust. 

“Well I’ll see you in detention and we can discuss it there.” Harry leaned in a bit, hoping to let Jackson know he was not playing around at this point.

“Third lunch. “ Jackson mumbled burying his face in his arms.  The school only had two lunch periods. 

“After school detention, great.” Harry said with false cheerfulness.  This boy was trying him. 

“What?  Oh fuck off.” Jackson glared up at him.

“And that’s detention tomorrow. We’re going to be seeing quite a bit of each other this year , Mr. Aster.” Harry raised an eyebrow, still maintaining his tone.

Jackson gave him an extremely nasty look. “Die in a fire.”  Students around them stared either horrified or impressed.

“Jack!”

“Wooooow.” 

Harry didn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing any hurt.  He was far too used to bullying and insults. “Three days in a row.  Care to play again?” 

“Jack, I’d just quit.” One girl said. Jack raised his middle finger and went back to sleep.  Harry dearly wished he could see how Jack would fare in Snape’s class trying this kind of attitude. 

Not long after, the bell rang and Harry sighed in relief.  This job might be harder than leading Dumbledore’s Army. 

______

“Welcome to high school, mate” Orion said after Harry told him about it.  “I’m tellin’ ya. Bloody. Teenagers.” 

“Jack Aster is just what his name says, Don’t listen to him.” Ms. Beadley set down a full lunchbox.  “He makes fun of me all the time, I’ve gotten used to it.” 

“Has he always been this...” 

“Rude? Generally.  His mother doesn’t seem to discipline him.  Father’s out of the picture.”

“I wonder why...” Levine walked by eating from a takeout box.  “If I were his father, I’d leave him on the side of the road in an interstate.”  

“Fredrick” 

“Yeah well, if your son were like him I wouldn’t be surprised in the least.” Orion said. “Chip off the ol’ block, I say.”

“Oh Orion.  Have you told your lady friend about your genetic predisposition to addiction?  Give her some time to reconsider?” Levine chuckled, eating his lunch. 

“Have you told yers how old yer last wife was when ya met her?” Orion shot back irritably.  

“We met in college, you sorry drunk. Medical school.” Levine huffed getting up. “I’ll be eating in my office. And reporting this to the school board.”

Once he left Juley sighed and gave Orion a sharp look.  “You should be very careful. He reports to the school board.He could get you fired, or at least keep me from talkin’ to you.” Harry hoped she was joking but it didn’t sound like it.

“I ain’t in any mood to take guff about my personal choices from him.” Orion attacked his beef tips with a fork. “And  you, missy , you need to stand your ground. No husband should be tellin’ his lady who to talk to.”

“ I mean...he....” Ms. Beadley seemed to be trying to think of a way to explain that didn’t sound worse.   “It’s an old school thing. Do you want my extra hush puppies, Orion? I packed too many. I swear I eat way too much.”  

Harry suspected that was something else Levine told her.

——

Chemistry was slightly less trying than Physics had been. The students seemed less obnoxious so far aside from the ones Harry had to tell to get off their phones at the beginning of class.  He was starting to find himself fond of Orion’s catchphrase. 

Bloody teenagers. 

Large towering Niko Volkova came in as his companion, the wild haired brown boy, who had come from work at Open House, hung back. With a glance Harry realized why he had stopped. There was a metal thing on his leg that he was adjusting. 

He muttered something about ‘pain pills’ as he got up and slung his backpack over his shoulder. He came in just after the bell rang.  

“Sorry I’m late, teach.  My stupid leg brace yanno.” 

“Understood. You are....”

“Lasko.  Nice to meet ya” he took a seat in the back next to his friend. Harry looked over his student list. 

“Ah.  Ambro-“ 

“Just. Lasko.” The boy insisted. “Don’t call me by my first name and I won’t call you by yours, new guy.” 

Well.  The boy had yet to tell him to die in a fire, at least. 

“Obnoxious as always, Ambrose” And there was Templeton Foster. Watching the two snipe at each other, Harry got the impression these two were hated enemies. Much like he and Malfoy had been 

And they were both in his class together.  Great.  

“I’m warnin’ ya Templeton, I am low on medication today and-“

“One more word and both of you can finish your conversation in detention.” Harry was starting to feel more like Snape than Lupin

He continued the rest of his lesson in relative peace.  He only had to give a detention to Dane Whitsky, the soda kid, for falling asleep and Taro Toyaka for a crude joke he blurted.  

After class he was called to the office. Jacob Jasper sat at his desk where a huge dispenser of dark liquid sat at the side. 

"Is that-"

"Coffee....a bit of energy draught....and a little bit of something else I shouldn't mention". Jacob said pouring himself a cup. "Would you like some?". 

"No thanks." Harry had an idea of what that something was. 

"Suit yourself.  So.. the reason I called you here is that ...do you...do you know how detention works here?" Harry felt   little surprised. Did he do something wrong in assigning it?

"No..sir" he said

"Well when a student is assigned after school detention, they stay in the detention room after school...as the name suggests. " Harry sighed. Had he been called to be told the obvious? "We have a teacher keep an eye on the little shits of course.  We don't have someone assigned to this job so generally we pull names for who's going to do it for a few months. Well I pulled the name and it's you. So. Well congratulations. You'll be presiding over the detention room after school.". 

"Oh...." Harry had expected to be responsible for the students he gave detention. But all of them?    "....right"

"I'm sorry" 

"It's fine I can do it" Harry doubted the man was really sincerely sorry. But someone had to do the job. Still Hogwarts' way of doing it made more sense. 

\--

Harry looked over the detention room once students had all filed in.  Quite a varied group of people. Many of them slept on their desks and a few actually did homework.  One blonde girl, whose hair was dyed pink at the ends, has a pair of denim shorts on her desk and was using her wand to embed patterns of colored beads in it.

"Ahem....Ms.... Can you please put that away" 

The girl looked up and sighed rolling her eyes.

"Fiiiiine" she stashed her wand and the shorts away taking out a notebook.

"...those aren't your shorts right?  I mean like you're  _ wearing _ shorts right now aren't you?" Dane asked looking at her quizzically.

"Of course I'm wearing shorts" Chase said, pointing to her tye dye shorts 

"Then....you brought an extra pair....to school.....to bedazzle?" Dane looked even more confused.

"Well yes in case I got stuck in detention but somebody says that's not allowed." She said glancing at Harry reproachfully. 

"Can I take those shorts off you?" Jack asked licking his lips like a hungry predator.  

"Ew, no I have standards" Chase said shuddering. 

Jack made a face at her "Not many, slut"

"Go whine on your blog". 

Harry cleared his throat.  Jack was going to be his least favorite student.   

"His blog is the school paper." Dane said worriedly. Jack was grinning wolfishly as he took out a sheet of paper. "At least...the way he's using it."

"Oh no I have a blog too.  Cringe@JJHigh." Jack said. "All the stuff the gay-ass teachers won't let me write". 

Harry sighed.  A miniature, less mature Rita Skeeter.  Great. He was halfway curious to pick up a copy of the school paper to see how much Jack was being regulated.  

"It's a freakshow of the school's saddest fucks" 

"More like a one man show by the school's saddest fuck. Must be exhausting" Lasko chipped in from a seat in the back.  

"You lonely without your gay ass bestie, Lasko?". 

"Awww, is your blog full of your slash fanfiction about us?  Like I said. Saddest fuck." 

Harry cleared his throat again. "We're not discussing your...website Jackson" 

"Well y'all can read all about yourselves on your own"  Most people rolled their eyes and continued what they were doing.  Dane looked very nervous. Harry wanted to reassure him that nothing on that site probably had much value, but he didn't want to start up more discussion about it. 


End file.
